Tranmere firepower returns as away form improves.

TRANMERE ROVERS appear to have overcome two of the major problems that dragged them towards relegation last season.

Wretched away form and a lack of fire power were largely to blame for Tranmere's slide out of the first division. They won just once away from Prenton Park and scored only 46 goals, an average of one goal per game.

But with the halfway point of the Division Two campaign now just two games away, Dave Watson's team are scoring goals in abundance and, after four wins on the road, travelling is no longer holding any terrors for them.

Tranmere's goals for total of 39 is matched only by third-placed Brentford who have played a game less.

And only second-placed Stoke City and fourth-placed Reading have won more away games than Tranmere.

After watching his side complete an emphatic 2-0 success at Bournemouth last Saturday, Watson senses a growing assurance in Tranmere's performances on the road.

"It seems we are becoming more confident about playing away from Prenton Park," Watson said.

"I know things can change quickly but the way we have been performing recently is encouraging. If a team can pick up away points consistently it can make such a big difference."

The goals meanwhile are coming from all areas of the team. Leading scorer Stuart Barlow (12 goals) can't get into the starting line-up at the moment because recent arrival Jason Price (six goals) who was signed as a defender/midfielder has been an unexpected success as an experimental centre-forward. Sean Flynn's eight goals this season already represent a career-best mark for the experienced midfielder while Jason Koumas - last season's top marksman ? has half a dozen in the bank.

However, Tranmere's defensive record is not so impressive.

Their goals against tally of 31 is the highest in the top half of the division and they have already suffered four-goal drubbings at the hands of Brentford, Northampton and Reading.

The upshot is that league fixtures involving Tranmere this season have yielded an average of just under 3.5 goals per game, the highest figure in the division.

And the inconsistency has kept Tranmere just outside the play-off zone in eighth position.

The gap between Tranmere and the second automatic promotion place has narrowed in recent weeks however and currently stands at eight points.

Brentford, the one-time runaway leaders have lost momentum, allowing Brighton to climb to the top.

Watson, while not entirely happy with Tranmere's league placing, is at least confident his team are in a position to challenge the front runners in the second half of the campaign. He said: "All teams have a dodgy patch at some stage of the season and there are one or two who have got theirs to come yet.

"We are not making the headlines in the promotion race at the moment but expectations are high within the club.

"The standard we aim for is to be at the very top.

"At the moment we are in a decent position, a few points off the pace.

"But I would sooner we were right up there and everyone was talking about us."